


Want Everything She Has

by Taitai83



Series: Music-Inspired Fics [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Comfort, Established Relationship, Jealousy, Pining, Secret Identities, Secret Relationship, ladrien, yes both
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24829093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taitai83/pseuds/Taitai83
Summary: It wasn’t just Marinette. It wasn’t just because she had practically stalked him for so long that she knew. Everyone could see it. She could tell by the way the girls shot her worried glances, by the whispers between Rose and Juleka with their brows furrowed in concern, by the way Alya had ramped up her solicitousness every time his name was mentioned.Because they all knew what she did.Adrien Agreste was in love.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Music-Inspired Fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1380559
Comments: 11
Kudos: 137





	Want Everything She Has

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen (and loved) lots of "Marinette is happy with her little secret" Ladrien fics, but considered a "Marinette is jealous of her alter ego" take instead. 
> 
> Inspired by "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZMT8otKdI

It was as clear as the perfectly proportioned nose on his face.

It wasn’t just Marinette. It wasn’t just because she had practically stalked him for so long that she knew. Everyone could see it. She could tell by the way the girls shot her worried glances, by the whispers between Rose and Juleka with their brows furrowed in concern, by the way Alya had ramped up her solicitousness every time his name was mentioned.

Because they all knew what she did.

Adrien Agreste was in love.

No one had confirmed it. Obliviousness being a common trait in the male of the species, Nino didn’t have any idea what Alya was talking about when she asked him. He had come back later saying his boy had denied any such thing.

But it didn’t matter. She knew. It was obvious.

It was the dreamy sighs and idle doodling in class, his mind a million miles away. It was the secret smile that appeared sometimes when he wasn’t paying attention to a conversation. The happy light in his eyes all the time now, where there used to be worry and confusion.

It hurt.

Marinette watched him stare dreamily into the distance and felt her heart ache. She wanted him to look like that while thinking of _her_. She wanted his warm smile and happy gaze to turn to her in class, for him to kiss her cheek when she stumbled in late, to hear his laugh when he cheated at video games by leaning on her arm while her dad egged him on.

She felt like an idiot, but she couldn’t help herself.

She tried to be his friend. She brought his favorite macaron when they had extra, and smiled at his enthusiasm for the sweet. She made a banner for his fencing match and didn’t miss the joy in his face when he spotted it. She cheered him on playing games against Max and then whooped him in the next game, but she couldn’t help but notice how he didn’t lean into her space even a little.

He loved her, she knew he did. But not the way she wanted.

“I’m so lucky to have such a great friend like you,” he said.

Marinette watched him walk off to his sleek silver car, his latest medal draped over his neck. She saw him look up at the sky and smile contentedly, and knew that it wasn’t _Marinette_ that put _that_ look on his face.

Alya noticed her expression, open book that she was, and draped an arm over her shoulder comfortingly.

“Maybe we’re all reading it wrong, M. Nino says nothing’s changed.”

Marinette gave her a wry little smile.

“No, Alya, we’re not. And we should be happy for him. He deserves to be happy.”

“Yeah, but so do you.”

“I am. I have a really great friend.”

Alya gave her a squeeze.

“Don’t do that, girl. You don’t have to lie to me.”

“Really, Alya. I’m happy. Just not in the way I wanted to be.”

\--

Ladybug couldn’t help but notice the look on his face when he spotted her slip through his window. Despite the low evening light, his eyes lit up like the sun. For her. She sighed softly as she slid onto his lap on his couch, letting his arm settle around her as he kissed her cheek in greeting. She tried to shake off her melancholy. He was here. He was hers.

“What’s wrong, Ladybug?”

He was perceptive.

(Sort of)

“Nothing,” she muttered dismissively. “It’s just me being stupid.”

“Can’t be stupid if it makes you sigh like that,” he murmured into her hair, his arm tightening around her.

“Trust me, it’s stupid.”

“Tell me anyway?”

She sighed again, and pulled away so she could look at him. At the soft smile on his face, the love in his meadow-green eyes, and remind herself that he was looking at _her_.

“I… saw you today. As me. And you were looking like _that_ ,” she said, tracing her finger around his beautiful face. “Like your heart was a million miles away, in love.”

He smiled a little, and pressed a kiss to her palm before she could pull her hand away.

“Is that a problem?”

“Apart from the fact that you’re completely obvious about it? No. Except… I knew you were thinking about me, about Ladybug.”

She swallowed, a constriction forming unexpectedly in her throat. He pulled her into his chest and she let him, drawing comfort from his warm arms around her before she continued.

“I was jealous. Of myself. Because I want you to look at _me_ like that.”

She brushed away some stray tears before he could notice.

“I _do_ look at you like that, Ladybug. You’re the _only_ one I’m looking at,” he said quietly.

“I know. I told you it’s stupid. But that’s the thing. I was standing there as _me_. _Not_ Ladybug. I want… I want to be able to go up to you and kiss you and let everyone see that you’re mine. I want my parents to embarrass me when you pick me up for a date. I’m mad at myself for never having the guts to tell you how I felt before… before _this_ happened,” she explained, gesturing between them.

Her eyes didn’t seem to be able to stop leaking and she impatiently brushed the wetness away again. Adrien remained quiet, and she was afraid she’d upset him.

“Don’t get me wrong! I love you, I love that I get to be here with you, just the two of us. I love these moments that would be impossible if I were my civilian self. But I wish I didn’t have to hide from you,” she choked on her tears again.

Adrien squeezed her gently, the soft pressure reassuring.

“I love you too, Ladybug. And I wish I could take you on proper dates, and text you in the evenings, and do all the normal things boyfriends do. But if this is what it takes to be with you, I’ll take it, because you’re all I need.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

They were both quiet for a while, holding each other in the soft evening light, and she drew comfort from the steady beat of his heart before he spoke again.

“You- you said, you were mad you never told me how you felt before,” he began tentatively. “Do you- you know me, then? Without the mask?”

The question was innocent, hesitant, but the implications screamed in her head.

“We’ve… met.”

“I’m trying very hard not to think about all the things I did today.”

“Don’t go trying to figure me out!” she warned. “I keep my identity from you for a _reason_. It’s _dangerous._ ”

He squeezed her again but didn’t say anything.

Ladybug squeezed him back.

“Hey, are _you_ ok?” she asked.

“I guess… I thought… I kind of thought I would know you anywhere. I mean, if I saw you. As a civilian,” he clarified.

She gave a gentle laugh.

“Miraculous magic. You won’t recognize me, trust me. It doesn’t say anything about your feelings for me, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s to protect us.”

“I guess,” he said, a little quieter than before. “Would- would Chat Noir know you?”

“You’re not jealous are you, handsome?” she teased, feeling better just being in his arms. “No, Chat doesn’t recognize me either. It’s not something a miraculous can overcome.”

“Doesn’t? You mean you’ve talked to _him_ as yourself too?”

She laughed.

“I’ve talked to him a _several_ times _,_ actually. He has a knack for running into me, I guess. But he definitely doesn’t know it’s me, that's been perfectly clear.”

Adrien was quiet again, and she was worried she’d upset him.

“Hey, I’m sorry I dragged you down with my nonsense,” she said, reaching up to cup his cheek as she snuggled into his neck. “One day Chat and I are going to defeat Hawkmoth and then I promise, I’ll tell you who I am and we can be together for real.”

He nuzzled his nose into her hair again.

“I’m not worried, Ladybug,” he murmured quietly. “I’ll wait. I know we can handle this until the time comes.”

“I love you,” she murmured.

“I love you too. Always,” he replied.

They held each other for a while, lost in their thoughts, letting the ache of secrets give way to the comfort of togetherness. And later, when Adrien beat her at Mecha Strike by loosening her controller connection, the balm of the laughter between them soothed their hearts entirely.


End file.
